White Rabbit Dark Ale - White Rabbit

nickd717

California

2.42/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12oz bottle shared by someone at dbuckingham's tasting. Always good to get a random Australian tick.

Pours a clear medium-brown color with a small off-white head.

The aroma is...whoa, wacky tobacky in your FACE! Weed is big in this one, along with nuts and caramel.

The flavor is also big on Mary Jane, which dominates the hop profile. There's also caramel malt, toast, nuts, and cocoa.

A little thin on the palate with average carbonation.

Below average for the style overall. Didn't really want more than my small ticker's pour here.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 05:33:24 | More by nickd717

dansmcd

Australia

3.08/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - A dark shade of maroon/brown. Disappointing skin of fizzy head which was gone in seconds.

S - Brown sugar, honey, sweet malts.

T - Strawberry jam and grapes. Quite hollow in the middle.

M - Light in body, too much carbonation.

O - Had been looking forward to this but Im not a fan. Just not enough flavour punch. Glad I just bought a single.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 13:02:18 | More by dansmcd

Macca

Australia

3.15/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This pours a light brown with some red hues. A finger of beige head. Some lacing.

The nose is dominated by fruity esters.

The esters again come through on the palate. Some earthiness.

Medium bodied with some sweetness.

The sweetness becomes a bit much after a few.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 11:04:31 | More by Macca

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.33/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a ruddy red-brown colour, quite clear, and certainly not particularly dark, but the head is a nice yellowish white cloud. Lacing is good. Overall it looks very pleasant indeed.

Some dusty grain on the nose, a little roasted character, and a faint whiff of banana. Even something else fruity, like apricot sits behind the dusty grain characters which is what is most prominent. Very pleasant, if not particularly big.

The grain is more prominent on the palate, and the phantom fruit characters disappear entirely, leaving it quite dry, and unfortunately rather thin. It has a pleasant wholemeal bread character on the palate, and the back is refreshing, but I feel as though the nose promised more than the palate delivers. Ends up feeling a bit thin.

Still, it's a very drinkable and quite sluggable beer, much like the English ales I can only imagine it is styled after. Refreshing enough, and it goes down very smoothly. Not bad at all, overall.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2009 08:39:42 | More by lacqueredmouse

vandemonian

Maryland

3.33/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

White Rabbit Dark Ale is a brown ale that tastes... brown. There isn't really much else going on though. It's not terrible, but it is boring.

A: Dark brown colour and a 5 mm head that lasts ok. 4

S: Malty. Maybe some brown sugar. Not much else. 3

T: There is a slightly sour malty base with some hints of clove and hard-water impurities. 3.5

M: Foamy but not overly carbonated. 3.5

O: 3

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 12:35:54 | More by vandemonian

vancurly

Australia

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Decided to wait until the final bottle from the 6-pack before reviewing. At least two of the bottles had more dominant yeast profile; reminded me of my earlier homebrewing attempts, or the ale they produce at Goulburn (who also open ferment).

a) Pours an attractive reddish brown, chestnutty. Beige, rocky/sudsy head, decent lacing.

s) The nose initially hints at ginger powder & other spice, and some caramel notes. Very light touch of roasted characters, almost porter-like. Warms to a metallic hint.

t) Some stonefruit flavours, biscuity / toast-crust. Lightly herbal elements as well, perhaps elderflower or chamomile or somesuch.

m) Smooth feel, medium body, long, sweet finish.

d) Probably have only a few, as they sweet feel might become a bit cloying after a while. Certainly a beer of interest, although nothing particularly outstanding to note.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 06:30:11 | More by vancurly

brendan13

Australia

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured into a pint glass a hazy red hued light brown colour with a few centimetres of beige head that slowly falls away.
S - Herbal, earthy and nutty character, some chocolate powder notes & fruity esters.
T - Nutty character comes through the strongest with some earthy and herbal hop notes. Fruity esters also come through a lot stronger in the taste.
M - Medium bodied with a medium to low carbonation. Sweetish maltiness is balanced by a noticeable herbal bitter finish.
D - A decent, some what sessionable beer but certainly nothing to get excited about.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2009 10:30:53 | More by brendan13

ADZA

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

There has been so much hype about this beer im stoked to be able to finally taste it myself,it pours a reddy,brown,dark rose colour with a nice one finger head with sporadic lacing here and there,the aroma is very,very hoppy for a english brown almost passionfruity with some caramel malts aswell,it has a light body mouthfeel for the style which is definately not a plus in my mind with nice tastes of passionfruit,stonefruit and some light toffee malts which really smooths out the tailend of this brew to make it a really easy drinking session beer but by no means would get caught up in the hype as its just another session beer thats easy to drink and even though its not bad ive definately had heaps better.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2010 12:17:39 | More by ADZA

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark copper with ruby highlights and a large lasting head.
Nose shows green, spicy, grapefruit hops with nutty darker malts and hints of chocolate in the background. Neither hops nor malt leap out of the glass, quite a good balance.
First up upon tasting the malt seems to lead the way, with more nutty and lightly roasted notes. The hops mainly show up as a green, spicy finish of mild bitterness.
Carbonation is too high, creating very dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2010 02:08:27 | More by CrazyDavros

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Single bottle picked up at a Canberra liquor store. Cute label drew me in.

Poured into a nonic pint glass. Dark sludgy brown-ruby, no visible carbonation, thick creamy head, good lacing streaks.

Nose is rich and malty, notes of caramel, chocolate, grape, floral hops.

A malty brew, pleasant to drink, but a bit watery to the finish for my tastes. Caramel, chocolate, smoke, grassy hops, a bit of dry grape. Tastes like an English mild dark.

Low carbonation, thinner bodied. Felt like a cask.

A nice sessionable dark, decent flavor although it could have been a bit more nuanced. Could be a great English mild with a lower ABV. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 08:23:55 | More by JohnnyBarman

laituegonflable

Australia

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dusky red-brown colour with very cloudy appearance, almost opaque with healthy beige head, good retention. Lace is a sticky film, thick, sticky and gorgeous. Hell of a looker.

Nose is quite sweet and spicy, a lot of malt and steamed pudding aroma with aspects of nutmeg and cinnamon as well, maybe a hint of clove. Slight herbal aspect. Not very pungent though for all that, smells very enticing but could just use more, should punch you with enticement. Not a subtle seduction technique I know, a punch in the nose, but still...

Taste is unusually tart. Has a pudding, cakey kind of malt base to it, quite English really, then assaulted by a bit of a sour and slightly bitter spice character. Hints of lemon zest, mustiness and a bit of funk.

Mouthfeel is quite slick but mostly just thin I think. A little bit of zing and leaves very dry. Almost a vinous dryness and I feel like this would hangover the fuck out of me.

Drinking is quite nice though, phenolic and astringent but not palate-destroyingly so. Seems interesting but a bit thin.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2009 06:32:47 | More by laituegonflable

jbowers56

Australia

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Clear reddy brown colour. 2 fingers of head dissapates pretty quick but leaves a decent pillowy layer - atleast so far.

Little creatures smell. Wow, what a trademark scent! Nice citrus hops mix with a malty sweetness. Very pleasant.

Pretty hoppy for an english dark ale. Interesting. Roasted malt qualities mingling with a definite citrus hop character. Not impressive, but pretty good.

I would like a thicker mouthfeel personally.

I could slam these down pretty easily, though I'm not sure I'd buy enough to do so.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2010 12:33:03 | More by jbowers56

Cs1987

Australia

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Dark red, 2 fingers of head which reduced.

Smell - Strong caramel, grassy hops.

Taste - I can't help but think of this as a "dunkel ale", as to me it tastes more like a dunkel lager than any other style. The roasty, earthy malts are well balanced with grassy hops.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, good texture.

Drinkability - Fairly drinkable.

Overall - I have waited for a long time to try this, but I am not surprised about it in any way. White Rabbit is a quality drop, but is not quite as interesting as most niche style beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 12:43:24 | More by Cs1987

jjkatter

Australia

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle poured into a goblet...

A- dark mahogany with very little to no head.

S- toasted malt and caramel.

T- not near as bad as I was expecting, given the reviews. Taste follows the nose. Fair body with subtle malted barley characteristics.

MF- pretty smooth and well balanced. Yea, feels pretty good in there. Let's do it again...

O- I am pleasantly suprised by this one. After opening mediocre craft beer after mediocre craft beer, this one's actually drinkable and the kind of thing I would actually have another of... Salute, lapin de blanc.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 08:00:22 | More by jjkatter

dgilks

Australia

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This pours a rich, hazy brown with a fluffy light tan head. Great head retention and decent lacing.

Rich malt aromas with chocolate and biscuit are present. Peachy, fruity notes bring out some nice, English yeast character here. Very good.

Tasty enough with a nice malt backbone holding up this beer with solid biscuity notes and toast. A herbal hop bitterness acts as a counterpoint and fruity yeast esters add interest. Unfortunately, White Rabbit is let down by a slightly metallic character more reminiscent of some industrial lagers which detracts from the beer. Solid but with a couple of flaws.

This is smooth, creamy and relatively light which makes it an easy drinking beer. Good.

A tasty, drinkable brew with plenty going on. I can see this being a decent session beer and hopefully the light metallic note is just limited to this batch. I can certainly see this being a good darker, maltier beer that I may drink in summer if the mood strikes me.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 07:16:32 | More by dgilks

jarmby1711

Australia

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

English Brown Ale is not in my spectrum of familiarity , so I base my comments purely on personal taste.
This is a beer made for sipping.The colour hints at sweetness which I thought was demonstarted by some rockmelon flavours.
It sits easily in the mouth , alathough the 5.2% alcohol is prominent.
I would happily drink this again , but a 330ml bottle is too small .The style screams for a 500ml bottle , or probably a draught pint.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2009 23:56:10 | More by jarmby1711

xylophonica

Australia

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Jupiler signature glass.
Note - this is rated at 4.9% not the 5.2% listed above.

A - Dark brown/maroon colour - looks like a coke. Very light sugary head without much substance.

S - Lots of dark sugar aromas here, caramel, molasses, toffee.. A nice counterpoint to this though is that there are some more herbal/spicy aromas in here as well. Quite strong with just a touch of sweet rum or port.

T - Tastes like a fairly normal brown ale! Some nice spicy/bitter on the tongue initially. This is offset by some dark chocolate flavours seemingly mixed with something a bit softer - maybe honey. Soothing aftertaste verges on licorice/aniseed. Nice combination and quite robust.

M - Quite vibrant at first with the above mentioned aftertaste. Shame it doesn't linger a bit longer though.

O - An interesting beer, but not groundbreaking. Flavour is stronger than that of a Newcastle Brown (for example) but the honey/sweeter sensations give it a very different feel. It's growing on me as I drink and warming well. Good to see a small and fairly new Australian brewer trying to make something other than another pale lager.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 12:58:16 | More by xylophonica

soju6

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep mahogany color with a small head that fades to no real lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt, some caramel sweetness and dark fruit.

T: Flavor of roasted malt, bit of caramel sweetness and dark fuit. Mild bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Fairly light body, smooth and creamy. Nicely balanced.

O: Enjoyable beer, pretty good for the style. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 10:07:14 | More by soju6

koolk

Australia

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark reddy-brown with a very small off white head that drops quickly and laces a little.

Nose has a nicely balanced mix of fruit hop flavour and some yeast derived aromas. Sweet tropical and perhaps even a little grass seem to dominate. Some chocolate notes appear as well. Nice enough.

Good flavour on the palate - Some darker malt flavours of roast and biscuit mix with some slightly red fruit hop flavours. Interesting.

Mouthfeel is very nice, though I think it does finish a bit short. Creamy and well balanced sweetness and bitterness are nice.

Worth a crack. I have no idea on what the open top ferment has done for this beer, but I like it and managed to knock off a couple.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 06:32:01 | More by koolk

juju7

Australia

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The tap version would definitely get a better score from me but I have never taken notes on it so reviewing the bottle. The cool thing about this beer is that it really is hard to classify and also difficult to accurately describe. The nose is a good balance of noble hops and slightly toffee malt. There is a hint of Belgian-ness about it coming from the yeast. A pretty cool hybrid. Smooth and elegant. The kind of dark ale that could appeal to the wider beer community without being dumbed down. A beer I'd be happy to drink anytime.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 10:53:21 | More by juju7

Raebies

Australia

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very fruity, orange bubble gum smell. Orangey brown coloured ale, slightly on the light side with a small tight head of foam.
Tastes like tangerine, very light bitterness.. grapefruit comes through as it warms up. Thin bodied.. with the name"dark ale" I was expecting something completely different, but this is very nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 07:08:53 | More by Raebies

LittleCreature

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Note: I have already reviewed White Rabbit on-tap, giving it a perhaps generous 4.05.

Appearance - 3.0
Pours a finger of loose beige head that gradually reduces over a clear, dark reddish brown body. Head retention is less than impressive.

Smell - 4.0
One sniff reveals the Little Creatures influence, as citrus-like hops dominate the aroma. With warming there is a slightly spicy note to the hops, as well as caramel and a little alcohol.

Taste - 4.0
Underwhelming when cold, improving as the temperature increases. Hops rule, but there is a definite backbone of toasty, slightly roasty malt. Recognisable as part of the Little Creatures family in its grapefruit hop character and assertive bitterness. Perhaps a little more malt character would be an improvement.

Mouthfeel - 4.0
Reasonably fine bead, moderate carbonation, medium bodied.

Overall - 4.0
A sessionable ale for any time of year and something I will surely drink again if the price is right. I tend to agree with Dean McLeod, that the dark ale could well be a new style, it is certainly nothing like an English brown ale in flavour. Very good stuff, one of the best beers being brewed in Australia.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2009 05:52:17 | More by LittleCreature

heygeebee

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

An interesting ale, and one I first found last winter. Deja-vu a year later. On special 15.80 for a 6-er at Dannos, can't be bad.

Pours a deep brown with red tints. One finger beige head, good lacing. Kudos here, the head stays and stays. Really unusual to see such good head retention.

Nose is restrained, some caramel maybe.

Taste is malt-driven, some caramel/chocolate, with no hop balance for bitterness, although Mrs heygeebee noted an ear-wax like sharpness on the back palate - not as unpleasant is it writes. Mouthfeel is light and creamy

Highly sessionable, although just perhaps the sweetness might catch up

I can never work out whether this is better served colder or slightly warmer. An English Brown Ale it really isn't

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 04:45:26 | More by heygeebee

istarilord

Hawaii

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark mahogany-brown with decent-bodied, light brown head. Nice floral scent, light malty/fruity sweet smell (strawberries today, but who knows what someone else would smell).

Nice texture with a medium bodied flavor. Hops dominate, slight acidity though well balanced with malt and a bit of floral (a beer that tastes like it smells, what a concept).

Easy drinking but decent body, medium carbonation. Good by itself!

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2010 09:57:39 | More by istarilord

eric5bellies

Australia

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank from my Weihestephaner Weizedn Glass

A - pours a nice clear red dark copper colour with an off white head that reduces to a film.

S - Citrus aromas from the bottle, much more malty once poured.

T - nice grainy note with a yeast malt finish that is quite bitter on the finish.

M - Plenty of fizz and low to medium body and real smooth.

D - This is one of the best mass produced beers in Australia and recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 11:37:43 | More by eric5bellies